Same Experience, Different Story: How One Client Changed Everything
When Melissa first came to me, she was ready for a change.
After 3 years at a financial services company in Boston, she felt like her employer owned half the businesses in the city. She wanted something different, fresh industry, a new location, a chance to make a real impact.
3 years of experience in HR and training
Master's degree in Human Resources Development
Known for building scalable programs
Collaborative, thoughtful, high-performing
She'd researched growing markets and identified tech hubs with employment growth. She was willing to relocate. She was targeting Client Services and Customer Enablement roles.
But every interview ended the same way:
"We really liked you, but you're not the right fit."
Translation? We can't get past your finance industry background.
What Wasn't Working
Potential employers couldn't see beyond "financial services." They heard her background and immediately categorized her as someone who didn't understand their world.
In interviews, Melissa kept saying things like:
"I know I don't have direct customer success experience, but I worked cross-functionally in HR…"
"I haven't worked in SaaS, but I've trained employees on new systems…"
She was leading with disclaimers. Trying to justify the pivot instead of owning the through-line.
The problem wasn't her experience. It was that potential employers couldn't do the translation themselves. So we needed to do it for them.
And in doing so, she sounded tentative, like even she wasn't sure she belonged in the room.
What We Did Instead
We repositioned her from "former HR professional" to a strategic program leader with a proven track record of enabling internal clients at scale.
Her new opener?
"I help organizations scale their impact through program design and stakeholder enablement. I've built systems that reached over 100 global employees and helped leadership translate compliance into action."
Same background. Completely different positioning.
She stopped defending her experience and started leading with her value.
The Transformation
Once Melissa shifted her narrative, the results followed.
She landed a Client Services Manager role at a high-growth tech company. Within 18 months, she was promoted, overseeing global training for 1,100+ external clients and 250 internal team members.
The hiring manager told her they made the offer because she brought "operational clarity and systems thinking" to a team full of customer experts.
This transformation? It happened in just four coaching sessions.
The 3P Method in Action
Melissa used my 3P Interview Framework to rework every answer:
Position: She led with her future identity, not her past title. → Scalable systems and client enablement leader.
Proof: She shared transferable wins, like building a multi-region compliance training system with 92% adoption.
Path: She clearly framed the pivot: "I've spent my career building learning systems that change behavior. Now I'm excited to bring that to client-facing teams who need clarity, speed, and structure."
Why This Matters
If you're making a career shift, here's the truth: You don't need to change your whole story. You just need to tell it differently.
Own your value. Back it up with outcomes. Bridge the gap confidently.
Melissa didn't start over. She just showed up differently.
Want to do the same?
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